Castiel's Beloved
by Moony3003
Summary: As the apocalypse rages on, Dean and Sam continue their search for the colt with the help of Castiel. But what happens when someone new comes into the picture? Will she help or hinder their progress? Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Nothing in Supernatural belongs to me. No money is being made, just written for fun.

* * *

Castiel's Beloved

Chapter One

The dark cloudy sky lit up with fury at the white lights below. The angels stood on one ground together opposite three opponents, an invisible line dividing them down the middle. The sky rumbled threateningly. The white lights then stopped and gradually, so did the shouting had. It was almost as though, all of them were waiting for someone to arrive.

From a long distance, two angels found each other's eyes, both of them instantly knowing what the other wanted. But it wasn't to be. They were on opposite sides. The pair of large and innocent blue eyes searched the vivid green ones they found. The rapid, subtle message could not have been any clearer.

"Castiel!" a voice bellowed into the clearing. "End this now!"

"I will when you stop putting everyone of this world at risk!" the rebellious angel shouted back.

The threat was then carried through. The rain poured from the sky, drenching the angels who had not yet moved. Zachariah closed in further and held his hands out to the sides, showing his opponents the odds.

"Do you really think you can win?" he asked rhetorically. "With guns that will do nothing, two arrogant idiots and an angel that cannot protect them, let alone himself. Look behind me. You are outnumbered."

"It doesn't matter," replied Castiel's companion, Dean Winchester. "You kill me, I will come back. You kill Sam, he'll be brought back. We're needed in this war and you know it."

Zachariah paused for a moment. "And what if we kill your precious angel?"

Dean shrugged, appearing not to care. "How are you going to do that?"

"With this," the angel replied, holding his arm high into the air and in his hands, they saw it. The silver knife gleamed in the extreme dull light that was present but they instantly recognised it for what it was. Lucifer's sword. Dean swallowed thickly.

"Well, I don't think that matters either," he replied, trying to keep his voice calm and normal. "Somebody brought Cas back from death and apparently that person will likely do it again."

A crude laughter filled their ears. "Would you like to test that theory?" Zachariah asked, amusement clear on his round face.

"Maybe not," Dean replied as he quickly glanced around them.

There was a pause. "Uh... Dean..." Sam warned quietly. "I think it's time we left."

The angels in front of them were slowly spreading out, their angelic white robes billowing in nonexistent wind, causing them to appear larger in number although the amount was already daunting enough. Dean quickly nodded and he looked to Castiel.

"So, what's the plan?"

"Plan?" Castiel asked with a slight shake of his head, clearly not understanding.

"You're telling me..." Dean said slowly, his anger increasing bit by bit. "That we went through all of that to try and get the colt, ending up meeting your kind here and now we have no plan?"

"You knew it would come to this," the angel said calmly.

"I thought the angels needed us to say yes though?" Sam asked, moving towards the angel and his brother.

"They do," Castiel replied. "But you know there are ways around it."

"And there are ways around this," Dean said quickly. "Perhaps a diversion."

Just as the words left his mouth, a large explosion behind the mass group of angels went off, causing chaos amongst them. Dean smiled and kissed two fingertips, sending it up to heaven before he grabbed Sam's jacket sleeve for a brief moment, pulling him along.

"And that's our cue to leave."

The angels gathered as one quicker than usual before moving to chase their prey. But Zachariah didn't join them, preferring to watch, knowing that it may take longer than necessary. The three companions ran down several dark streets before coming to an abrupt stop. The angels were coming from there too. They were trapped.

They huddled together, panting heavily, fearing that they were taking their last breaths. But then the angels stopped in their tracks as the ground began to rumble and shake. The three companions looked around, hoping to see the source of the commotion. Instantly, a brilliant white light filled the space of the small dark street they occupied and a streak of lightening gashed across the sky.

And then everything turned silent and unusually dark.

"What was that?" Dean asked as he brought his head up to look at Castiel.

The angel shrugged and shook his head breathlessly. "I do not know," he replied. "But we must leave now."

Sam panted still, nodding in agreement. Together the three men ran from the scene and back to the hideout they had been using.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Sofiel looked around the large, angelic room. Despite being in the room, she found herself very much alone. The only thing running through her mind was the question – why am I here?

She sighed almost impatiently as she waited to be given some answers. Memories of the previous night entered her mind. That wasn't supposed to happen. Many times since this started she just hoped Castiel would give in and let things happen the way they were supposed to.

Mainly, she wanted him to stop denying the fact that Michael was needed in this war and his vessel being stubborn was not helping anyone. Of course, Sofiel knew that Lucifer had yet to find his true vessel but he did have a temporary one and for the moment, he could use that one to achieve his ends.

"Hello, Sofiel."

She turned sharply at the familiar voice. Stood before her was one of her many superiors, Zachariah. They hadn't spoken in a long time. Sure, they were on the same side but there were many of them. All angels couldn't be expected to speak to one another every day.

Sofiel nodded her head once to acknowledge his presence. "Why am I here?"

"We have a new mission for you," Zachariah replied without hesitation. "Go to Castiel and bring him back here."

A frown appeared on the young angels face. She didn't know where this was coming from and since when did they ask low level angels such as herself to do tasks mostly considered for angels higher up.

"What good would that do?" Sofiel asked quietly. "Nothing that has been said to Castiel so far has yielded any results. Why should this be any different?"

"Because it will be you who is asking," Zachariah replied easily.

From the slick tone and smug facial expression, Sofiel knew what he was getting at but she didn't want to be reminded of it. Being here on this Earth was hard enough without dragging the past back up.

Sofiel's green eyes looked to the pristine wooden floor. Another soft sigh left her thin, pale lips as she thought about what to say. Admittedly, she knew there was not much she could say to argue against Zachariah; also it would have been inappropriate. He was her superior.

Slowly, her eyes moved back up to meet his dark grey ones. She chose her words carefully. "Do you not think that this would be best left up to you or someone else that may get through to him?"

"Do you think we have not already tried?" asked Zachariah, taking a couple steps closer to his subordinate.

Shaking her head slowly, Sofiel spoke. "No, I'm sure most things have been tried." She paused for a moment, wondering about the consequences of taking this one. "And what if I am unsuccessful?"

"Unfortunately," Zachariah started languidly, pointing his finger up at her lazily. "That is not an option."

"But if he will not listen-"

"Then make him listen!" Zachariah said firmly, cutting the younger angel off, making her jump faintly.

Instantly, she nodded her head, not wanting to push this any further. Backing away slowly, she licked her lips nervously. "I will go," she said calmly. "And I will bring him back."

With that, Sofiel vanished, leaving Zachariah looking at the place she last stood, wondering if she would be seen again.

* * *

Only when the front door of the secret hideout, which was essentially a ruined house, closed did the people inside relax. Dean walked straight to the fridge for a beer, Sam plopped himself on the couch but Castiel remained standing; looking between the brothers, refusing the beer he was offered.

"Well, that went spectacularly well," Dean commented wryly.

Leaning his head against the back of the couch, Sam sighed unnecessarily loud. "What do we do now?"

"We wait," replied Castiel.

"For what, to be cornered by your brothers and slaughtered?" asked Dean quickly.

"They will not do that," Castiel said darkly in response to the sarcastic tone. "They cannot kill either of you and they know it. They're looking to get rid of me and have the two of you say yes. Only then will one of you be hunted."

"You mean I'll be hunted?" Sam asked, wanting Castiel to clarify.

"Fine," the angel huffed impatiently. "Sam will be hunted once both of you say yes."

"Wait, what?" Dean asked, putting his beer bottle on the bench with a heavy thud.

Castiel sighed. Dean pushed himself off the bench he leaned against and moved closer to the angel in front of him but Castiel continued. "You both know where this is heading..."

"No," Dean interrupted sharply, cutting Castiel off. "Maybe you should explain it."

Momentarily, Castiel looked down before looking between Dean and Sam again. "Eventually, both of you will be forced to say yes one way or another. Once it happens it won't be you anymore and you never will be again. It will be Michael versus Lucifer."

"What are you saying?" asked Sam in a quiet tone.

The angel licked his lips slowly. He thought both of the brothers were aware of these facts already. "Only one of you will survive this war," the angel spoke, obvious sadness coating his voice.

"No," Dean repeated. "I've said before that it's not going to happen."

"I don't like it either," said Castiel slowly. "But I don't see how any of this will end unless you both say yes."

"Whose side are you on again?" Dean asked, a deep frown present on his face as he moved closer to Castiel.

"I've been trying to help all I can but..." Castiel trailed off slightly, unable to find the words. "But I am running out of options."

"Well, I say we go after the colt again. I know today did go so well but we have a rough idea where it is now," Dean said, his tone quiet but firm. "We know Crowley had it before, we can find it again."

Sam sat up and looked at his brother. "But Dean, it might take few long months, maybe longer to find where it is. And we only just survived tonight's encounter with angry angels."

"We have time."

"Perhaps not as much as you think."

All three men turned to the window where a woman was now standing. Castiel's blue eyes widened considerably. He rushed towards the woman and moved her from the window and shoved her against the wall. Sam shot to his feet and moved to his brother's side. Both of them just watched. It was obvious that these two knew each other.

Both Dean and Sam looked the new person over. She was tall with vivid red hair that cascaded down past her shoulders, accentuating her bright green eyes. Her pale skin stood out from the colour of her hair and her thin lips seemed to be visible shaking. The pale blue shirt she wore was scrunched up high, showing her mid-riff as Castiel's grip on her tightened.

"How did you get here?" Castiel hissed menacingly.

"You're still an angel, aren't you?"

"Answer me!" Castiel hissed. "How did you get here?"

"Zachariah has been having some help..." the female angel replied. "I've been sent here to talk with you."

Castiel wasn't fooled. Pulling a silver knife from the belt of his black trousers he pressed the blade against the woman's neck, causing her green eyes to widen in fear.

"I am no fool, Sofiel," Castiel whispered. "You've been sent here to bring me in. I'll be killed."

"And if I fail, I'll be killed," Sofiel said, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Whoa, Cas, maybe we should think about this," Dean said desperately, attempting to move forward but being stopped by Sam.

"You'll be killed either way," Castiel said, his eyes narrowing heavily, ignoring the thoughts of the hunter behind him.

Castiel raised the knife high but before he could stab it into Sofiel, she reached out with one hand, placing it over Castiel's heart. He lowered the knife hurriedly as he struggled the breath for a moment. Sofiel exhaled heavily, her chest tightening.

"Your host... he is no longer there..." she panted.

Castiel's eyes glazed over as they met the green ones of the angel before him. "No... Jimmy is no longer here. It's... this is just me. This is my body now."

"You never mentioned that..." Sam said quietly.

The brother's were still being ignored. The female angels demeanour changed quickly as a single tear ran down her face. "Castiel," she whispered. "You do this and you will not only kill me but you will be killing my host and believe me, she is a good person... she does not deserve this."

The knife was once again lifted into the air. "Castiel!" Sofiel begged desperately. "Can you really kill me?" She paused, looking for the recognition in his eyes that she once meant something but nothing came. "You were my beloved... I loved you."

The faces of both hunters turned to shock but they no longer tried to interrupt. Castiel shook his head slowly. "You have joined with the others. You're no longer on my side."

"You were the one who changed sides, Castiel," Sofiel said quickly. "You betrayed us to help them and now you're cut off from home. What you're trying to do is wrong."

"You're wrong," Castiel hissed. "Too many things have changed."

"Or perhaps you are the one who has changed," Sofiel said quietly.

It was to be the wrong thing to say. A flash of silver past her eyes as Castiel plunged the knife into her heart. A bright white light flashed through the room, the hunters shield their eyes and once it was gone, Castiel released his grip on the now dead angel, the body falling to the ground with a sickeningly thud.

Everything than turned silent. All that could be heard was the heavy panting from Castiel. He turned away from the body on the floor, his eyes shut tightly. He walked towards the closed door and opened it without touching it.

"Cas..." Dean said, not really sure what to say.

The angel was vanished, leaving the brother's alone. They exchanged glances, still feeling unsure of what just occured.

"His beloved?" Dean questioned in disbelief. "I thought he was a virgin."

"It doesn't mean they've done... that," Sam asked, wanting to change the subject. He looked at Sofiel. "Should we bury her?" he asked, unsure of whether it was the right thing to say but he saw Dean nod slowly.

"Yeah, well, we can't leave her here and Cas probably isn't up to this. Come on, let's just get it over with."

Taking a careful hold of the empty vessel's body, they took her into the backyard and dug a grave before carefully placing her inside and covering her with dirt. As they looked down at her, neither brother said anything. They just glanced down at her in silence. There was one bad thing about this. Wondering who she was brought up many questions about Castiel.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

For the tenth time, a loud sigh sounded through the small space of the Impala. Sam looked sideways at his brother irritably but said nothing. He knew Dean was bored but so was he. They were still waiting for someone, anyone at all to show up.

A muffled thud then sounded as Dean's head hit the back of the seat, making him look up at the roof of his beloved car. Turning his head to the side, he watched as Sam looked through his phone.

"What's taking so long?"

"I don't know, Dean," Sam replied, only half listening.

"Cas said to be here and still no one is here!" he exclaimed louder than was necessary. "It's been over twelve hours. Maybe we should call Cas."

"What for?" Sam asked with a small shrug, still engrossed in his phone. "I'm sure if something happens, he'll contact us."

Another sigh left Dean's lips but just as he opened his mouth to say more, his phone jingled in his pocket. A surprised look came over his face but he quickly fished it out and frowned as he looked as the lit up screen. It was Castiel.

"Cas, what's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"_Nothing," the angel replied, on the other end. "Where are you?"_

"Where you told us to be," snapped Dean. The line went dead. "Uh... Cas?"

Snapping his phone shut, Dean swore under his breath. "Angels, man, I'm telling you."

Sam rolled his eyes and sighed lightly before going back to what he was reading. Within seconds, both of them jumped slightly as the back door of the Impala was opened and Castiel slid in with ease.

"Come on, Cas!" Dean said irritably.

"What's wrong?" asked Sam, moving on.

"I don't know but something is," the angel replied quickly. "There should be someone here."

"And who exactly were you expecting?" Dean asked, turning to look in the backseat.

"Zachariah," Castiel replied. "He's suppose-"

Castiel's sentence was cut short as several car alarms blared around them. The afternoon daylight was slowly turning dark and street lights flickered around them. The brother's watched in surprise, wondering what was going on, but it seemed Castiel already knew.

He rapidly tapped Dean's shoulder. "You need to leave, now!"

He hopped out of the car and without listening, Dean followed as did Sam. "Why, what's happening?" Sam asked quickly.

"Get back in the car and drive away," the angel said with his back to them as he stared up at the abandoned warehouse in front of them.

Neither brother moved as they watched dark clouds descend over the area and lightning strikes hit the earth. Within seconds, the three of them were engulfed by a white light that headed towards them at a great speed. There was no time to do anything.

* * *

A whimpered groan echoed off in a cramped, undetermined amount of space. Dean rubbed his head vigorously with one hand, feeling it throb painfully, while he pushed the other flat upon the ground, to assist in sitting himself up into a more comfortable position.

His eyes slowly opened and he squinted as he looked around the space he was in. He saw two other people, Castiel and his brother. The angel was currently standing near a boarded up window, staring at it curiously but Sam was lying slumped against the wall beside him, unmoving.

He attempted to move but a voice stopped him. "Your brother is fine," said Castiel in an even tone. "You were both knocked out from the blast."

"Blast?" Dean questioned, looking at the angel through narrowed eyes, ignoring the pain he was experiencing.

"Yes," Castiel said in the same tone. "That's what the white light was. It was a trap. No angel was going to be there."

"So, where are we now?"

"Do you remember the room you were kept in, by Zachariah, before the events of Lilith's death?" Castiel asked.

"Yeah..."

"It's similar to that, but this one is far more complicated," the angel whispered.

"How so?" Dean asked, starting to feel irritated at the vague answers he was getting.

Castiel sighed faintly and he finally turned around to face Dean. His blue eyes moved to Sam and checked him over, but he was still fine, although still unconscious.

"Only archangels can build a room such as this," came the solemn reply.

"A room such as this?" Dean asked, repeating part of Castiel's statement. "It looks like a dump, something a homeless person would sleep in."

Castiel's expression hardened and he turned away. Dean licked his lips quickly and sighed heavily, moving his body further up the wall. Feeling out of breath quickly, Dean stopped, and rested against it.

Castiel turned to him again, his features softening. "Do not move," he said quietly. "It will take your body some time to recover."

"Why aren't you affected as much?" Dean asked.

Castiel shrugged slightly, looking at Dean as though he should have known the answer. "I'm not human..."

As the words left his lips, Castiel was suddenly unsure about that statement. Of course, he knew he wasn't completely human but he was no longer the angel he was before. His mojo was only working at half capacity but he knew the reasons for it being this way.

"So... how long until we can get out of here?" Dean asked, looking around.

"Not until we find us which archangel's holding us," Castiel sighed.

"Shouldn't be too hard... there aren't that many archangels," Dean commented. "And we've met two of them."

Castiel nodded but he didn't reply. For a moment, a flitter of fear crossed Dean's face. What if the person holding them was Michael? But quickly, Dean shook his head, mentally kicking himself. Michael needed a vessel which was him. If the archangel could just take someone else, he probably would have by now.

"You don't know who it is?"

Castiel shook his head lightly as he looked away from the hunter on the ground and paced around the room slowly in a small circle. "No," he said quietly.

Once again it turned silent. Dean leaned his head against the cold stone wall behind him and closed his eyes. A few questions came to mind and Dean opened his eyes again and focused on Castiel. Until now, neither he nor Sam had been able to question him on this.

"So, Cas... speaking of angel's... who's the pretty one you killed a few days ago?"

"No one," said Castiel, his voice hardening.

"She didn't seem like no one," Dean said, ignoring the tone. "She called you her beloved? You never said you had someone back home."

"I haven't seen her in over two thousand years," Castiel said, looking away from the hunter.

"But that amount of time is not much to you right?"

"I suppose," Castiel replied. "But it's been a while."

Dean let the matter go. Right now there were bigger things to worry about but seeing Castiel that way a few days ago was quite unnerving. Sure, he had seen the angel angry before but that was something unseen before.

Before it could be given any more thought, a wall of the room was ripped away cleanly, making Dean jumped and Castiel turn sharply. Sam was still out of it. A few people rushed towards them, their faces shielded and brought Dean and Sam to their feet before leading all of them out into a much larger room.

The three of them were pinned against a white wall although by nothing they could see. The people around them scattered and ran from the room just as another person entered. Dean groaned inwardly. He dreaded the day when this would come and he had hoped it wouldn't be here so quickly.

"I see you got yourself out of the, uh, fire..."

"Silence!"

The tall dark vessel that contained Raphael walked forwards, stopping in front of the three men, leaving several feet between them. The dark eyes narrowed as it looked from Castiel, to Dean and finally to Sam. With a click of his fingers, Sam awoke and struggled for a moment before noticing what was going on.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Sam," the tall, dark angel spoke in a deep, smooth voice.

"Hello, Raphael," Castiel said, moving the attention away from the brothers.

"Castiel," said Raphael darkly, his eyes turning onto the other angel. "I'm surprised to see you again so soon. No doubt you were trying to protect these... imbeciles."

"Tell me, how did you get free?" Castiel asked curiously.

"I had a little help," replied Raphael slowly. "It seems you three have discovered the location of Gabriel. I was able to contact him, make a deal and he set me free."

"Damn, why the hell did we free him?" Dean asked to nobody in particular.

Still feeling groggy, Sam turned to look at Dean briefly. "To make him a friend," was the quiet answer.

"Yes, thank you, Sam," Dean snapped sarcastically.

"What do you want?" asked Castiel loudly, moving things along.

"Give me one good reason why I should not smite you right here and now and give me another reason for not doing it to both of these... so called hunters."

"Oh, that's lovely-"

Raphael flicked his wrist before Dean's face. "Silence!" he shouted again, a large piece of tape covering Dean's mouth. The hunter's eyes widened in protest and his words were muffled by the tape. "I've heard enough out of you for a lifetime."

"What's the point in killing me again?" Castiel asked Raphael, ignoring the muffled protests beside him. "I've been brought back once. What's to stop it from happening again? Would you want to take that chance?" Castiel paused as he looked down at the brother's before his own kin again. "And what's the point in killing them? Michael needs Dean and Lucifer needs Sam. Both of them can be brought back also."

At Castiel's words, a dark smile crossed Raphael's face as he walked towards Dean, stopping in front of him. Licking his lips slowly, he looked Dean up and down, his eyes gleaming in the dull light that filled the room.

"I suppose I could summon Michael here..." Raphael removed the tape off Dean's lips, slowly, the material pulling at the sensitive skin. "Are you willing to say yes to save Castiel and Sam?"

Dean's jaw clenched tightly and his eyes shut tight for a moment before focusing on Raphael again. "Go screw yourself," Dean whispered harshly. "Mean's no."

An amused laughter fell from Raphael's lips. "Zachariah mentioned your smart mouth," Raphael chuckled. "I wondered if it was still like last time. You haven't learned anything yet have you?"

"And what do you want us to learn?" Sam asked, his groggy state lifting a little further.

His voice turned Raphael's attention onto him. The archangel moved to stand before Sam and he grabbed the young hunter's chin and forced his head up so he could get a better look at him. Raphael's eyes narrowed heavily.

"Just knowing that you're Lucifer's vessel is enough to make me hate you as much I despise him." He paused before continuing. "I want you to learn that no matter where you go on this earth, you will be found and things will occur until you both accept your roles."

"My God, you sound like Gabriel," Dean muttered but he was heard.

Raphael stormed to Dean and smacked him across the face, causing the hunter to swear breathily.

"Careful boy," the archangel warned. "That's my father's name you're taking in vain."

Castiel's eyes narrowed and his features hardened at the mention of his father. "Where is he, Raphael?"

"I've already told you Castiel," the archangel said moving towards his brother. "Father is dead and gone. He no longer cared about any of us, not even these treasured but flawed creations of his in the end. It's up to us to do what we can to survive."

Castiel bit his bottom lip as he looked to the floor in almost despair. He couldn't believe the words that Raphael continued to speak. It was impossible to believe that their father would leave and not say anything and Castiel couldn't take the risk that he might be dead. He had to keep looking.

"Well, Michael's in charge, isn't he?" Castiel asked quickly. "He decides to throw in this apocalypse now that Lucifer has returned and all in heaven are just going to follow without question?"

"No," Raphael said quickly. "While it is true that Michael is in charge, he didn't come up with the whole thing himself, although he did have a big hand in it happening. There were many that disagreed but many eventually saw reason and others, well, they were sent here and most have been found and eradicated."

"You mean murdered!?" Castiel yelled in anger.

A crude laughter filled the large space of the room, bouncing off the walls. Raphael turned away from Castiel and walked around in a large circle, taking a few breaths before facing the three men again. He stood rigidly, his arms at his side, unmoving and his dark eyes carefully watching the three men.

"All of heaven is in favour of this taking place, except you Castiel," Raphael explained slowly. "I will admit though, Michael never planned on both of you to be so incredibly stubborn," he added looking at Dean and Sam.

"But if we keep saying no, then this will never happen," Dean said confidently.

"Perhaps," Raphael said slowly. "Just know that the longer this is put off, the more people that will die. Can you live with that on your conscious?"

"Can you?" Dean asked quickly. "We didn't start this..."

"You broke the first seal!" Raphael shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. He turned to look at Sam next. "And you Sam, you broke the last seal."

"What does it matter when you wanted this to happen in the first place?" Sam asked, feeling angry at being reminded of this again.

"Some of us felt as though our hands were tied. Once you broke the first one it was almost a godsend... so to speak. We decided to use it and only then, did we encourage this apocalypse to happen."

"I didn't choose to go to hell," Dean grounded out angrily.

"No, but you did choose to save your brother and you did choose to pick up Alistair's razor, no one forced your hand."

"Go to hell," Dean hissed heatedly.

"You first," Raphael said instantly. "I could always throw you back in the pit... I'm sure Michael wouldn't mind coming to your rescue himself..."

"Enough of this!" Castiel said loudly, gaining back the archangel's attention. "Lucifer has released unimaginable evil since retuning and he needs to be stopped. Lucifer cannot keep reigning unchecked-"

"Then Dean should let Michael in."

"There must be another way," Castiel said quickly. "Why can you not go after Lucifer?"

"The longer Lucifer is allowed to roam the earth, the stronger he will become. He has already matched my powers. Michael is needed."

"Or God," Castiel added for him.

"He is gone, Castiel!"

"Stop!" Dean said quickly. "This is pointless, we can talk about this for days, weeks probably and we're never going to agree. Just let us go and we'll figure something out."

"I don't think so," Raphael said quietly. "I think-"

Raphael was cut short as the ground beneath them began to rumble, the walls rattled and several of the windows shattered. Within seconds, they were joined by a second person. For a moment, Dean wondered if he was going to help them.

"Hello, Gabriel," Raphael said slowly in his deep voice.

"Howdy," the other archangel said cheerily. "Oh, I see things are going well," he added, noticing the three men against the wall. He looked to Raphael again, a sly smile gracing his crooked mouth. "So, bro, need any help?"

"No," Raphael spoke warningly. "You've helped enough."

"Well, the main reason I came by was because I thought there was one more thing I could do to help," said Gabriel, looking at his surroundings curiously.

"Which is what?" Raphael asked, clearly irritated.

Sending a wink towards the hunters and their protector, Gabriel clapped his hands before Raphael could act. Dean, Sam and Castiel pressed their hands against the wall tightly as the world spun before them, causing everything to blur. The ground shook for only seconds before everything stopped.

* * *

The silence around them turned deafening and Sam was the first one to raise his head. They were back in the ruined house they were using as a hideout. He frowned heavily and sat up, tapping Dean as he did. Dean groaned before stirring but stopped quickly as he wondered how they got back there also.

"Wakey, wakey," came a voice from the corner.

Startled, both hunters jumped to their feet and turned to sound of the noise. It was only Gabriel, leaning against the wall and smiling at them broadly. A smile that only made Dean want to punch him so it would leave.

"You... helped us, just now, right?" Dean asked, wondering if everything that just happened he saw correctly.

"Yes," Gabriel said evenly.

"You went against Raphael?" Sam asked slowly.

"Yes," Gabriel repeated.

"Why?" Dean asked with a frown.

"Well, you helped me last time when you could have left me there and... I knew what Raphael was going to do to you," Gabriel said, his smile disappearing. "He was going to kill all of you, it didn't matter to him. He just wanted you to suffer to make you say yes and it probably would have worked."

"Then why did you stop him?" Sam asked quickly. "Last time we saw you, you were so intent on us fulfilling out rightful roles, the ones we were born for."

"I still am," Gabriel replied. "But you see, part of me knows it's going to happen one way or another but Raphael doing this to get a result... isn't right. That's not how angels are supposed to act. We are heavenly beings and we don't resort to torture."

"You might want to tell that to Zachariah," commented Dean under his breath.

But Gabriel heard him and he chuckled lightly. "I suppose," he said. "I heard about that but just know, there were many worse things that he could have done."

"Where's Cas?" Dean asked, looking around, noticing for the first time that Castiel was not with them.

"Gone for the moment," replied Gabriel. "He will returned once I leave. I've had enough of family for the time being." He looked between them before waving. "Ciao."

Before the boys could ask any more questions, Gabriel vanished and within seconds, the front door opened and Castiel entered, looking unharmed. He looked between Dean and Sam, making sure both of them were alright. When he was satisfied that nothing had happened, Castiel sighed and turned away.

"Why would he suddenly help us? What's he hoping to gain?"

Castiel shrugged as he turned to look at the hunters again. "I honestly don't know," Castiel replied. "I'm sure he knows what Raphael had planned but I don't believe it's the reason he stopped it from happening but I am sure he's pissed Raphael off and Gabriel's gonna be on his list after us."

"So, what do we do now?" Sam asked looking at Castiel.

The angel shrugged. "Wait here. I need to see if the angels are talking or if I can at least hear something. I'll be back in a few days."

"And what are we supposed to do until then?" Dean asked quickly.

"Rest," was the only answer they received before Castiel vanished, leaving the brothers alone.

Dean and Sam exchanged glances but instantly they both knew there was nothing to be done. They had no new game plan, no next move and attempting to come up with one wouldn't help them. Taking his jacket off, Sam moved to the table and sat down while Dean moved to the couch, lying across it. He just hoped something good would come their way eventually. It needed to.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **I apologise if anyone is waiting for me to continue this story. At the last minute, I decided to add things and move things around.

* * *

Chapter Four

A scream echoed through the piercing darkness that surrounded all life. It was full of pain and agony and was filled with words that could not be formed coherently. The pained sobbing of a young woman followed and her body shook violently as it convulsed on its own accord. Tears streamed down her face rapidly as she finally found the strength to move. Her pale hands clawed at the walls that had her caved in. There was nothing to hold onto, nothing to help her leave this nightmare. She was stuck here until someone was able to find her in this darkness.

Then, as though hearing her calls for help, something tugged at her body, slowly pulling her upwards, towards something she still could not see. Suddenly, a brilliant white light blinded her. She shut her eyes together tightly, wrapping her arms around her head in protection as a whimpering sob left her still shaking body. It seemed as though everything turned silent. Nothing could be heard. When she felt safe enough, she opened her eyes. The bright white light was gone, replaced with a dull light that filtered in through an open window. The old wooden floor was hard and cut into her legs but the pain did not register straight away.

Slowly, she peeled her arms out from around her head and she glanced around at the rest of the small room. It contained highly polished furniture, including a bed, a set of drawers beside it and a tall wardrobe that sat in the corner. And at the opposite wall sat fireplace where a crackling fire was already going, heating up the entire space of the room quickly.

And there was one other thing that did not pass her notice. There was a man standing in the corner, arms folded over his chest, his face stern and poised as his steely grey eyes watched her. His clothes were simple, faded grey jeans, a white undershirt and a loose fitting unbuttoned grey shirt over it which flapped faintly in nonexistent wind.

Her eyes shot to his boots as he took two steps closer to her. The thick black leather echoed on the wooden floor boards, making the dust upon them jump high into the air. Her eyes widened and she gasped, jumping backwards, the palms of her hands hitting the floor hard as she stumbled. At her reaction, he stopped. She needed some more time. That was alright. He could give her that.

"Lucifer..." the woman whispered, her voice barely audible.

But the man smiled knowingly. He heard her clearly. Changing his mind, Lucifer walked towards the bed and sat down, ignoring the slight creaking as he looked to the still terrified woman. He shook his head slowly, tutting.

"Now, now Sofiel, you could at least show me that you're at least a little grateful," he said, a small smile appearing on his face. It never quite reached his eyes.

"I-I died... I died..." Sofiel repeated.

"Indeed you did," Lucifer said, his tone soft. "But I've brought you back."

"W-why?" Sofiel asked, her voice shaking.

"I want something from you."

"W-what?"

"Well..." Lucifer continued, not hearing the small cowering angel on the floor. "Actually, I want you to do something for me since I wasn't able to convince your beloved to do it for me."

Hearing that word made Sofiel's head snap to attention. She focused on the fallen angel, her body stopped trembling, and she got to her feet, ignoring the quivering of her legs.

"My beloved?" she asked, unsure of whether she wanted this to continue or not.

"Yes, you still remember Castiel, right?" Lucifer questioned, his smile widening a little more. "It's a shame he no longer carries the same feelings for you but you're gonna have to let it go and do something for me."

"What?" Sofiel asked, her voice a little stronger.

"Bring me Sam Winchester."

Sofiel exhaled sharply. Of all people to bring her back, she never thought it would be a fallen brother and remembering her past conversation with Zachariah, she wouldn't be welcomed back with the others.

"How? Castiel is protecting him."

Lucifer got to his feet and walked to Sofiel. Without warning, he grabbed her roughly and shoved her against the wall, pinning her there with only a hand against one shoulder. Sofiel whimpered at the sudden sharp pain in her back, knowing that Lucifer was causing it. His face showed no emotion as his nails dug into her back, slowly ripping the skin.

"If you don't, I'll rip the spine from your back and I won't bother bringing you here again. You will lure him away and have him meet with me alone."

"And how will you get him to say yes?"

"You let me worry about that, you just concentrate on getting him out in the open, a task similar to what Zachariah gave you, correct?"

Sofiel only nodded to that question. "It will take time."

"Oh, I'm sure it will," Lucifer said, his nails digging in a little further. "But just know, that you don't have all the time in the world, as Nick here, will no longer be of much use soon."

Seeing no other option but death, Sofiel nodded her head rapidly, wanting the pain to leave her back. "I'll do it," she hissed.

"Good," Lucifer said, his smile returning as he removed his hands off Sofiel's body. "Just make sure you get it right this time and not let Castiel kill you otherwise we'll have to go through this again."

Sofiel exhaled sharply as she rubbed her back, looking down at the floor. There was more she wanted to say but she was stopped short when she looked up. Lucifer was gone. She was alone and she knew she had to find Castiel again but this time, it was going to be harder.

* * *

The night sky above her looked grim as her green eyes wondered over the countless stars she saw. A small feeling of disappointed flooded through her as she saw no sign of the moon. It was nowhere to be seen. It was one of the things she loved about Earth; the moon.

As her sight remained on the dark sky, her thoughts turned to her father. She wondered about his whereabouts many times before although she had never questioned anyone on them. Part of her thought she had no business in inquiring his actions and methods.

Sofiel wondered though the streets aimlessly, her mind stuck on things which should have been forgotten long ago. At present, she had no real destination. She first needed to find out where Castiel was with Dean and Sam.

It was then that her thoughts were then invaded by Lucifer. Could she really help him, after all this time? At the time of his punishment, Sofiel had tried not to think about whether or not it was justified but if their father thought it so then that should have been good enough for the rest of them. And for a short time that may have been true but Lucifer wasn't unpopular back home. He had many that loved him.

It was then she thought about Sam. Both hunters were well known in the supernatural world by many people. It would be hard to find someone who hadn't heard of them. Sofiel felt guilty at the idea of them being torn apart and separated forever but even she knew that this apocalypse needed to happen, otherwise everyone would die and she was sure their father never wanted that.

Sofiel scoffed lightly. Well, she was sure their father wouldn't have wanted to apocalypse to happen in the first place but the breaking of the first seal changed all that. It gave the angels something to make it continue, gave them a reason to push for this.

Sofiel was aware that there were many angels that didn't agree with what was happening but all the ones who had spoken out were no longer with them and the others were keeping their mouths closed to avoid suffering the same fate. It was something Sofiel didn't want herself although it appeared too late for her. Lucifer was now the only one who could help.

It had only been a few hours since seeing Lucifer but she had no plan in mind to find Castiel or the hunters. She had a feeling they would still be at the same ruined house as before but she didn't know the location. Last time, she appeared there without any knowledge beforehand. She hadn't needed any.

But this time, she needed to know where she actually needed to go. Sighing heavily, Sofiel stopped her movements and glanced at her surroundings. It seemed just like any street that she had already seen a million times before. Looking up at the sign above her head told her that the place in front of her was a cinema. Her head turned slowly as a noise reached her. People were walking out from a shopping centre further down the street.

It was time to leave. Sofiel turned and walked back up the street she had just walked down. Just hearing the people was enough to put fear into her. The reasons behind it were unknown to her but in a strange way she no longer felt like an angel. Being close to humans was an awful feeling.

When she reached the end of the street, she looked around again. Instantly, she knew something was different. The street lights above her weren't on. They shrouded the surrounding houses and her in darkness with the only lights around coming from the ones that were still on metres from her. She turned and looked towards the lighted areas again, wondering if maybe she should go back down there. It seemed safer.

"Hello, Sofiel." She turned sharply and faced someone she hadn't seen in a long time. His odd shaped face lit up into a huge grin. "Wow," he breathed. "It's been a long time since I've laid eyes upon you."

"Gabriel?" Sofiel questioned hesitantly.

The man nodded and Sofiel took a step back in slight fear. It didn't go unnoticed. Gabriel chuckled but he didn't move any closer to her. "I will say I'm glad to still be recognised although it sometimes does take a little longer."

"Many of us wondered what happened to you."

"Well," Gabriel said in an almost bored tone. "Now that I'm back, news travels fast. How did you manage to rise from the grave?"

There was no point in hiding the truth. She just hoped that he wasn't going to smite her right here and now. "Lucifer," she answered with a sigh.

"Well, I suppose he's looking for rebellious angels," Gabriel commented with a small nod of his head, his eyes focused on a space of road behind her.

"I'm not a rebellious angel," Sofiel said through gritted teeth, instantly feeling angry at the assumption.

"Oh, and what would you call it?" Gabriel asked, his smiling widening further, his eyes focusing upon her again.

"I was killed trying to bring Castiel in and-"

"Oh please," Gabriel said loudly, cutting her off. "Do you really think Zachariah sent you there with the intention of you succeeding?"

Sofiel opened her mouth but then closed it quickly. She didn't quite know how to answer that. Memories of past events flooded through her mind, trying to locate the one where they sensed her doubts and when they decided that something must be done about her as well but there was nothing.

"I haven't done anything..." Sofiel said slowly, looking Gabriel over with distrust.

"No, but all our actions are watched by superiors and if they have doubts they are taken higher. This means someone had doubts about you and took those doubts to Zachariah who decided it was time to rid of you."

Gabriel turned and wandered down the dark street leisurely and Sofiel bit her lip, questioning herself on whether she should follow. Deciding that her questions could not wait, she sprinted after him and fell in step with him. Together, they walked side by side and Sofiel realised that this was one of the first times she had spoken to Gabriel properly. It wasn't every day that someone like her got to speak exclusively with an archangel.

"I've never questioned any orders," Sofiel said quickly, thinking rapidly, almost frantically. "I've always done as I was told. Even Castiel was higher ranked than I. What could I possibly have thought?"

"Did you have doubts?" Gabriel asked calmly.

Almost instantly, Sofiel's demeanour changed. The thoughts drained away as did the feeling of panic that was slowly building in her chest. She turned her head faintly and glanced at Gabriel. She knew out of all the archangels, he was the most laid back. And from this conversation, he wasn't interested in the affairs of their kin too much.

"Why aren't you helping them?" Sofiel asked as she turned back to look ahead of them.

Gabriel sighed lightly as he looked up at the night sky with a dreamy look. "This apocalypse will happen one way or another and our kin want it to happen before father's creation is wiped out. Admittedly, some of them, like Raphael, don't care about humans but most do. It was an agreement, I believe."

"Agreement?" Sofiel asked, frowning in confusion.

Gabriel nodded and slowly, his smile began to fade until it was gone. "Raphael and most of the others agreed to try and get this over with without killing the people of this world."

"Who came up with that idea?" Sofiel asked, wondering who on Earth could get Raphael to agree to that.

"Michael," Gabriel said quietly. It was almost as though he didn't want to even think his brother's name let alone say it.

Sofiel let out a sharp breath as she let that small piece of information sink in. Gabriel looked at her, eyebrows raised. "What? You thought Michael wants the world to end?"

"No, no," Sofiel said quickly. "I just thought he agreed with Raphael."

Gabriel chuckled. "Michael may be cold and calculating, but he's not heartless. He did as father wanted and bowed down and loved the things he had created and he doesn't want it destroyed. If father is alive and out there somewhere, watching, he cannot turn his back on what he once thought."

"He'll get the same punishment as Lucifer," Sofiel whispered.

"Or worse," Gabriel said with a nod.

It turned silent between them and Sofiel sighed lightly, watching her warm breath float on the cold air. She watched it with interest as it was the first time she realised it had turned cold. They continued walking, still without a destination but soon, Gabriel spoke, breaking the silence.

"You'll find Castiel, Dean and Sam in Lexington, Nebraska. The last house on Waldourf Road. It's an abandoned house but enter through the front door. It will be unlocked."

Within seconds, Gabriel vanished. She didn't know why he was helping, but she could ask the boys when she saw them. Surely, Gabriel wouldn't help her for no reason. But like he had said, he wants this to happen and it will one way or another. Sofiel guessed that Gabriel already knew what Lucifer wanted with her.

* * *

As Sofiel approached the ruined house, she stopped for a moment and glanced up and down Waldourf street. It was quiet. Each house looked as though it had nobody home and there were no kids about. She thought perhaps a little too quiet but she was in no shape to take anything on, angel or not. There was something she needed to do first.

Rubbing her sweating palms on her black jeans, she slowly approached the front door. When reaching the old mat that sat on the ground, she stopped again. This was a bad idea for many reasons but the one thing she didn't want to happen again was be killed. Part of her hoped she could talk fast enough to avoid it.

Touching the brass knob lightly, Sofiel turned it as quietly as possible. Cautiously, she stepped through the front door. It seemed quiet here too. Sofiel pressed her lips together tightly. Knowing that everywhere was quiet right now wasn't a good thing but she continued on into the main room where she had previously been killed. She looked to the spot but closed her eyes involuntarily as it sent an unwanted shiver down her spine.

It was empty, save for a few chairs, a table and a sofa. Sofiel walked into the centre of the room and stopped. She glanced around, wondering where everyone was. Surely, someone had to be here. As she turned her back on the door, Sofiel realised she had made a mistake.

One person pounced on her, pushing her to the ground and one of pinned her there with his weight while the other fussed with something she couldn't see. When she managed to turn her head, she saw that it was Dean and Sam stood beside them with a gun pointed straight at her head. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak but nothing emerged.

But it didn't matter. They recognised her. Dean moved off her body as quick as he could before helping her up. Sam put the gun on the table but he stayed beside it, his eyes wide. Sofiel stood still as Dean looked her up and down in confusion.

"Cas killed you," he said, out of breath.

"I know," Sofiel replied. She was aware of the obvious here. She took another look around and noticed he was not here. "And where is Castiel?"

"He said he'd be back in a couple of days," replied Sam. "He wanted to know if he could hear the angels or find out what they're up to."

Dean turned to look at his brother, giving him an incredulous look. "Yeah, that's right, Sam, tell her everything."

"He won't hear them," Sofiel said, ignoring Dean's remark to his brother.

"How? Cas is still an angel," Dean said quickly looking at Sofiel again.

"That may be so but Castiel and I are now in the same situation and I do not hear them."

"You've been cut off from heaven?" Sam asked, standing up straight.

"Yes," Sofiel answered quietly.

"Who brought you back?" said a new voice in the room. The voice was hard, cold and bounced off the wall threateningly.

All three occupants turned to the doorway to see Castiel standing there, his blue eyes narrow and firmly fixed on Sofiel, his face set like steel. He looked her up and down, taking in her now more than human appearance.

"Does it matter?" Sofiel asked, closing half the gap between them.

Castiel reached behind his back and brought out the same silver knife he had used to kill her the first time. Sofiel eyed it fearfully and took the several steps back. Quickly, Dean shot between the two angels, holding his hands out, showing he was no threat.

"Look, uh, Cas, there's no need for that knife," Dean said quickly. "And... uh... Sofiel... right...? She's no threat to us right now. She's in the same boat as you. Maybe we should all be working together."

"Who brought you back?" Castiel asked, ignoring Dean.

"Lucifer," Sofiel replied softly. There was no point in lying to Castiel either. He was no fool.

Castiel took a few steps forward, still ignoring Dean who had placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why would he bother to do such a thing?"

"He wants Sam and he wants me to help," said Sofiel, confessing the truth. She knew that there was no other excuse to use that Castiel might believe. At the moment, she thought the truth was the best option but it was clear Castiel didn't see it that way.

"You know I'm telling the truth, Castiel," Sofiel said quickly, her eyes looking between Castiel's eyes and the gleaming silver knife that she knew was cold to the touch.

"Perhaps," Castiel said slowly. "But it doesn't explain why you still came here."

"Yes, it does," Sam said, interrupting. All eyes instantly looked to Sam. Castiel's eyes narrowed further but he let Sam continue. "She's got nowhere else to go. Like you, she can't go back to the other angels and she can't go back to Lucifer without me. Where else is she going to turn?"

"I don't care, but you can't stay here," Castiel said coldly, putting the knife back and pushing away Dean's hand.

"Why?"

"You can't be trusted," Castiel said plainly.

"Then who brought you back? Lucifer as well?" Sofiel asked, feeling the anger build in the pit of her stomach.

"No," Castiel said through gritted teeth.

"But you're not sure, are you, Castiel?"

Those words were enough. The anger feeling too great, Castiel stormed from the room, leaving Sofiel alone with Dean and Sam. She looked between them but had nothing more to say. She moved to the sofa and sat down, feeling more than a little dejected.

* * *

Upstairs of the ruined house, a door creaked open. Blue eyes searched the room slowly, eventually stopping on what it searched for. Castiel entered the room hesitantly, wondering if he was going to be told to get out. But the occupant that sat upon the bed said nothing. She didn't even move. He approached slowly, stopping a few feet from her.

"Sofiel..." he whispered quietly. "We need to talk."

"Then talk," said Sofiel, her voice barely audible.

Castiel remained where he stood and decided to get this over with. It was harder with his past love not looking at him, preferring to keep her back to him. "I know you cannot go back to the others and I know you cannot go back to Lucifer without Sam but..."

"Where do you think I should go?" Sofiel asked quietly, interrupting.

"I do not know," replied Castiel. "But you cannot be here, with them."

"Why?"

"Because you cannot be trusted," he answered.

"You mean, you don't trust me," Sofiel said bitterly.

Castiel nodded and shrugged lightly at the same time. "Yes, I suppose that would be more accurate. I do not trust you."

"You used to," Sofiel whispered sadly.

Castiel shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know what to say to that."

A small noise came from Sofiel. It sounded like a mixture of a snort and a chuckle. "I die and come back after only a few days," she whispered. "I don't remember what it was like to be dead but I do wonder if it was a better feeling than this. I never knew Lucifer had the kind of power that he does."

"He shouldn't," Castiel said quickly.

"But he does," Sofiel continued. "It's been a long time since seeing him last. We were at home then, before everything starting falling apart and going downhill. Do you still remember home, Castiel?"

"Yes," came a sombre reply.

"Are you sure?" Sofiel asked, her tone turning hard. "Seeing you before was the first time I'd seen you since we all left home to come down here two thousand years. It felt like a lifetime. I missed you." Sofiel paused as she licked her lips slowly, her eyes fixed on the wooden floor beneath her feet. "When I found out you were one of the ones sent into hell to fetch Dean Winchester, I worried. I knew you would come back but I still couldn't help but worry. And then, not long after, I found out you were cut off from heaven, deciding to betray the rest of us. I was angry but I was still worried for you. And then I heard Raphael killed you and I was heartbroken." Sofiel paused again, sighing heavily. "When I came here and found you, I was surprised by how angry you seemed. And I was more than upset to learn that you no longer felt anything for me. You were that much against us that you killed me without knowing anything more than you do."

"I never forgot you," Castiel said after a few moments of silence, letting everything sink in.

"Then what changed?"

"Me, you, everything," Castiel said, seeming unsure of himself. "It's become complicated and I cannot deal with this now."

Finally, Sofiel stood up from the bed and turned, walking towards Castiel. She stopped in front of him, leaving little space between them and looked him over and a few times before focusing upon his bright blue eyes.

"I know your angry and maybe feeling betrayed by the others and perhaps even by me... but you don't need to turn away from me. I will not leave. I can help you."

"Why?"

"What choice do I have?" Sofiel asked quickly.

"That's why I have a problem with this," replied Castiel. "You're not here because you want to be."

Now it made sense. Sofiel nodded her head slowly, as the realisation of why Castiel didn't want her here registered. Reaching up slowly, Sofiel gently stroked Castiel's cheek with one hand. Castiel's eyes fluttered momentarily and his breathing seemed to shorten faintly. A small smile appeared on Sofiel's face.

"I never wanted to be cut off from home but I never wanted to be away from you forever either. Isn't there anything I can say to help you believe me?"

Castiel sighed and turned his head to the side, removing Sofiel's soft touch from his cheek and breaking their eye contact. "There is nothing you could say," he said quietly. "I won't force you to leave and if you really want to help, then prove it."

Castiel turned and walked towards the open door. Before leaving, he turned back. "And stay away from Sam Winchester."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Sofiel! Run!" Castiel shouted.

The female angel turned several times, the world before her spinning, making her dizzy. The gunfire around them seemed endless and it was only a matter of time before one of them hit the target. Sofiel scream at the sensation. A shocked gasp fell from her lips as someone's arms wrapped around her from behind and pushed them both towards the other side of the street.

"Come on," Dean said loudly.

He forced both of them into a convenience store and locked the door behind them. He grabbed Sofiel again and took them down to the store room which was cramped and full of junk. Closing the door he locked it and leaned against it, doubling over and dropping his gun before covering his knees with both hands, breathing heavily.

Sofiel slid down the wall and clutched the wound on her arm which bled steadily. She watched as Dean took his phone from his jacket pocket. He swore under his breath. "Why is there never cell reception?"

"What do we do now?" Sofiel gasped.

"I don't know," he replied. Dean took a deep breath and sat down against the door. "We should be okay here for a moment. What happened out there?"

Sofiel shrugged as she tried to remember. The events that just passed were still a blur and seemed to no longer make any sense. "I don't know... the demons came out of nowhere..."

"They weren't demons."

"What were they then?" Sofiel asked, frowning.

"It's a virus, called Croatoan. It's a demon disease and not treatable," he said in an annoyed tone. "I thought all angels knew about it?"

Sofiel shrugged once her breathing went back to normal and her vision had stopped swimming in front of her. "There are many of us and I'm sure some of us are told one thing while the others are told something else."

Noticing the blood escaping through her fingers, Dean shifted to sit beside her and removed his jacket, placing it to the side. For a moment, Sofiel frowned faintly, wondered what he was doing. Dean smiled at her, noticing the look on her face.

"Relax, I'm not gonna do anything," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Just gonna patch up the wound until we get back." He reached for his jacket and took a large roll of white bandages from the pocket and carefully he began to wrap her arm. After a while, he managed to ignore the wincing and gasps coming from his patient. Feeling it was a little too quiet, he looked Sofiel over. She seemed to be staring at nothing. "So... your host... what was she like?"

"Her name was Jade," Sofiel replied desolately. "She worked as an English teacher in a private, all girls' school. Though she was young, she was doing well. I felt bad interrupting her life, but I needed a vessel and she was the best match I had found so far. The first time I spoke to her, she freaked out. She thought she was crazy but after proving it to her a few times, she eventually came around."

Sofiel sighed before continuing. "She was a lovely woman and now, because of me, she's dead. I know where she's gone and it does give me comfort but she was young. There were many things she missed out on."

"Well..." Dean started slowly. "I'm sure when she said yes to let you in, she knew what she was giving up."

"Perhaps," Sofiel said, finally looking at Dean. She looked down at her arm as the bandage was secured in place. "Thank you," she murmured as he moved back to the door and sat against it.

"So, how come Cas still doesn't seem in pain when he gets hurt now?"

"Maybe Lucifer didn't bring him back as I had hoped," Sofiel replied.

"You think God must have brought him back?" Dean asked, a small frown appearing.

Sofiel shrugged. "I don't know, maybe."

"But Raphael keeps going on that's he's dead," said Dean quietly.

"I believe that if father ever died then the world would cease to exist," said Sofiel, staring at the blank wallpapered wall in front of her.

"Then why would he let all of this happen?" Dean asked louder than intended.

But Sofiel took no notice of the harsh tone or the volume of his voice. "Perhaps he wants us to finally fend for ourselves. Maybe he wants to see how we really would do without him."

"You think that's why his hiding?"

Once again, Sofiel shrugged. "Maybe."

"So, if God's in hiding could he still have brought Cas back?"

"I don't know," Sofiel said honestly. "I know father is powerful but I do not what he is capable of while within his own creation."

"If God's power doesn't stretch that far, then Lucifer must have brought him back..."

"Then as you said, why does he feel no pain?"

"Maybe he's shielding it," Dean suggested.

"Or someone else brought him back."

"Such as?" Dean asked sceptically.

"Michael," Sofiel answered, turning to look at Dean.

Dean chuckled breathily. He couldn't seem to escape the archangel. Dean shifted in his position and straightened up against the door. "Does he even have that power?"

Sofiel's eyes moved back to the wall and wandered along it slightly. "When father is gone, Michael is in charge. He's the most powerful of all angels and he wields much of it. I wouldn't have thought he was powerful enough to bring someone back but perhaps father's power isn't the same down here, so Michael becomes more so while he's gone, to keep things running."

Dean thought things through for a moment. "Raphael was the one who killed Cas. Why would Michael bother bringing him back?"

"Raphael was only protecting Chuck," Sofiel said softly. "But I don't think it mattered to him if he killed Castiel as well." Sofiel paused and looked Dean in the eye. "Despite what you may think, Michael cares for you as he does for his own kin. He knows that you were in Castiel's charge and that he was looking after you. Perhaps he thought to give you that again while you made up your mind."

"You think I'm going to say yes to Michael," Dean said, his tone hard.

"I don't think you'll have a choice. He'll-"

"I do have a choice," Dean interrupted, evidently angry.

"But what if Sam says yes?" Sofiel asked curiously, her head tiling sideways faintly.

"He won't," Dean said confidently. "He can't. We promised to stay together during this. Whatever it took, we'd get through it. If we both say yes then only one of us will survive."

"And what about the rest of the world? Do the people here not deserve to live?"

Dean got to his feet, put his jack back on and unlocked the door. "Conversation's over. Stay here, I'll see if it's clear."

Sofiel struggled back to her feet and felt her legs wobble as she walked towards the open door. She opened it a little further and poked her head out and watched as Dean walked to one of the few windows with his gun pointed in front of him. He looked both ways quickly before lowering his gun. He turned again and stopped briefly as he watched Sofiel leave the room.

"They're gone?" she questioned quietly.

"Seems like it," he answered, opening the front door. He checked it quickly before going back inside and taking out his mobile again. "It's still not working," he said loudly. "Looks like we're gonna have to walk out of the town."

"Isn't that a little far?" Sofiel asked quickly, moving closer to him.

"About fifteen minutes, I think," Dean replied. "Remember how to shoot?" he asked, holding out his spare gun.

Sofiel nodded and took it hesitantly. "I hope so."

"I hope so too," Dean muttered under his breath as he walked out the door, Sofiel following closely.

Half way through the journey, it was still quiet and no one had attacked them. Dean looked sideways at the female angel still beside him. He watched as her long red hair swayed in the wind and her pale features contorted in what he thought looked like fear. It made him wonder if she was a little more human.

"So..." Dean sighed heavily. "Cas wasn't always like this, right?"

"Like what?" Sofiel asked, frowning but she kept her focus in front of her.

"You know, rigid, difficult, stubborn," replied Dean.

For a quick moment Sofiel looked at Dean before looking back in front of her. "Not quite the words I would use," she said quietly.

"How long were you two together, in heaven?"

The question made Sofiel's eyes water. If she was completely honest with herself, she knew she couldn't keep avoiding the situation with Castiel. It was obvious that he could but it wasn't doing her any favours.

"A very long time."

"Then why is Cas still a virgin?" Dean whispered, stepping closer to Sofiel.

The angel sighed heavily but didn't give him another glance. "He is not alone," Sofiel said quietly.

"Then why haven't you two been rocking the clouds?"

"We loved each other but there was plenty of time for that," Sofiel said quickly. "To angels it's not the most important thing when with someone intimately."

"I think you angels are nuts," said Dean. "You don't know what you're missing."

Sofiel didn't reply and it turned quiet between them again. Just as they made it to the edge of town, they both stopped as a kicked rock rolled their way, the sound making them freeze. Slowly, they turned and were faced with at least a hundred infected townspeople.

"What do we do?" Sofiel whispered frantically.

"Run and shoot," Dean said in the same tone as Sofiel.

The angel nodded and at the same time, they both fled the town, firing behind them. "Go, go!" Dean shouted over the noise. Just as they reached the bridge they went around and over to the other side. But the townspeople continued to follow. "Shit! Go, go!" Dean shouted again.

After running down the road a little further their eyes widened and they came to an abrupt stop, temporarily forgetting about the people chasing them. There was someone standing in the middle of the road, looking at them, his arms hanging casually by his sides, a small smile gracing his lips. Dean swore under his breath.

"Lucifer..." Dean panted. "Let's go," he said quickly, pushing Sofiel to the side. She stumbled but followed. A chuckle reached them and instantly the scene changed. Dean spun on the spot a couple of times, his eyes wide. He was alone. He swore loudly. He couldn't leave without her.

* * *

Sofiel panted heavily but kept her eyes tightly closed. She couldn't tell where she was but the sounds were different. There was no longer shouting behind her or the shouted words from Dean. All that surrounded her was the pounding in her ears and the heavy thumping against her ribcage along with an odd dripping sound again concrete.

When she felt brave enough she opened her eyes and took a peek at her surroundings. She didn't know where she was but it was cold and felt as though it were underground. The floor was nothing but concrete, slathered with dirt in places and the brick walls seemed covered in dirt too as did the brick columns that surrounded them. Pipes ran along the ceilings and Sofiel realised that one of them was leaking.

"I'm sorry to just take you away like that."

Sofiel turned on her heel and faced the doorway. Lucifer stood there, leaning against the door frame, his arms over his chest. He looked calm but Sofiel wondered if he felt that way. She hadn't yet done what he asked. Perhaps that's why he had brought her here.

Sofiel licked her lips before opening her mouth but she didn't speak as Lucifer held up his hand, stopping her, and walked towards her, coming to a stop slowly. He left little space between them but Sofiel could instantly tell that despite the smile, he didn't look pleased. His grey eyes reminded her of angry clouds just before a storm.

"I have to tell you, I am a little disappointed so far," Lucifer confessed.

"I've tried-"

It was the wrong thing to say. Lucifer pushed Sofiel against one of the columns and just as he did previously, and he pinned her there without using much effort. Sofiel gasped at the pain that ran through her back but she bit her tongue, keeping the words she wanted to say inside her mouth.

"You've had weeks to do what I asked!" Lucifer said loudly, his face contorting into sudden anger, the smile disappearing completely. "And you haven't managed that small yet simple task."

"Then why don't you do it yourself?" Sofiel bit back acidly.

Lucifer's jaw visibly clenched. He moved his free arm and wrapped his fingers around Sofiel's throat, placing pressure upon her delicate vocal cords. "If you think for a moment that I was able to do it myself, that I would have already!"

"Forgive me!" Sofiel cried, wanting him to stop. "I will try harder!"

"I'm sure you will," Lucifer purred, slowly releasing his grip upon her but he still held her against the column. "You have three days in which to bring Sam to me. Fail, and I will not show mercy again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Sofiel said quietly.

"Good," Lucifer said, his faint smile returning. Grabbing a firmer hold of her shoulder, Lucifer brought Sofiel into his arms and pressed his lips to the lobe of her ear before whispering. "If help is needed, look closer to home."

Before Sofiel could fully understand the meaning of his words, she was transported back to where she had been taken from. Forgetting his words, Sofiel glanced around quickly. "Dean!" she shouted.

There was no sign of him. Knowing that he wouldn't go back into town, Sofiel continued down the road, in the same direction they had been running. The false demons must still have been around but Sofiel could see no sign of them.

"Dean!" she shouted again.

Loud footsteps coming from behind caused Sofiel to turn but her fear quickly turned into joy. Dean reached her side in record time. "Where have you been?" he asked quickly, appearing out of breath.

Sofiel shrugged. "I'm not sure where I was but it doesn't matter," she said, looking around them. It wasn't long before another sound joined them. The townspeople had returned and wasted no time in going back to the chase again. "Did they cease the chase?

"Yeah," Dean said nodding rapidly. "You disappeared and then they did." Dean grabbed her arm and pulled her back up along the road. "Let's go."

Before long, both Dean and Sofiel came to another abrupt holt as a new sound came to their attention but a relieved smile came to Dean's face. They continued running and within moments, car came around the bend. It was the Impala. Once it reached them, Sam turned the car swiftly, the tyres screeching along the tar. "Get in!" Sam yelled.

They bundled into the car and took off at a fast speed. Both Sofiel and Dean breathed heavily, thankful that Sam showed up when he had. Once they were out of harm's way, Dean leaned on the front seat.

"What happened to you and Cas?"

"He teleported us back to the edge of town and went back to look for you," replied Sam.

"But you didn't stay there?"

"Course not, went to get the car in case you managed to get yourselves out."

"Then why didn't Castiel find us?" Sofiel asked quickly.

"He didn't see where you disappeared to," Sam replied. "And the phone wouldn't work, so he was looking all over town blindly."

Sofiel nodded at Sam's words. She kept her eyes on the back of his head. She wondered if she could see the reasons why Lucifer wanted Sam for his vessel. Sure, Sam's body would be able to stand his presence inside but Sofiel still wondered if there was another reason he wanted him so badly.

As guilty as Sofiel thought about the situation, she had to get Sam to Lucifer. Having him say yes could just possibly make Dean do the same thing. In no way did Sofiel want to betray Castiel but like others she wanted this apocalypse to be over and for most of the world's population to survive something they weren't aware of. She thought it unfair that they had to die because the brothers didn't want to say yes.

* * *

When they returned to the house, they instantly noticed that Castiel had returned. He looked the three of them over and he's eyes came to stop on Sofiel. For a brief moment, his eyes narrowed and with a subtle message, which told her to go upstairs and wait for him. Sofiel didn't argue and with a slight nod of her head, she left the boys alone.

After only five minutes she was joined in the bedroom she was using by Castiel. Sofiel sat on the bed, tall and rigid, looking towards the door. As she watched Castiel walk in, he appeared defeated, lost. Sofiel relaxed her pose and patted a space of bed beside her.

"Come here," she said seductively.

Castiel ignored the command and he gave Sofiel a hard look. "Where did you disappear to?"

"It wasn't by choice," Sofiel said quietly.

"Lucifer?" Castiel questioned.

Sofiel only nodded. Castiel looked away. His doubts about her were increasing and Sofiel didn't even have to ask to know it was true. Sofiel looked Castiel over and for the first time since seeing him again, she felt something close to pity. He once solely believed in the goodness and righteousness of heaven but now it had been shaken so far to the point of not even believing in the one person who had been by his side for so long.

"What did he want?" Castiel asked quietly.

"It doesn't matter," Sofiel said lightly, not wanting to discuss this anymore. After all the things Dean told her earlier, there was one thing she couldn't shift from her thoughts. "Come here," Sofiel repeated, in the same tone.

As though he couldn't refuse, Castiel moved forwards and sat beside her on the bed. Sofiel pressed her lips together tightly as she attempted to remove the trench coat that he never seemed to take off. But when learning what Sofiel was trying to do Castiel shot off the bed and walked towards the window, scratching his head nervously as he went.

Sighing, Sofiel got up also and walked over to him. Gently, she turned him so they faced each other. "Please, Castiel," she said softly. "It's been a few weeks. I'm still here. I've helped. What more do you need?"

Castiel shrugged and looked at the ground, still seeming lost. "Castiel, I still love you," she said in the same tone. "I want us to be together; the way humans show each other how they feel."

Castiel sidestepped away from Sofiel but stopped after a few steps. "We've never done anything like that before."

"Part of me wished we had," said Sofiel quietly.

It seemed that Castiel had no more words. Sofiel walked in front of him again and lifted his head by his chin. Their eyes met and slowly, Sofiel leaned upwards and lightly, she pressed her lips against his. She felt no pressure back but it was still nice. When Sofiel pulled back, a small smile graced her lips when she noticed how wide Castiel's eyes had become.

"Do you... know how...?"

"If humans can figure it out, I'm sure we can," Sofiel said, her smile widening a little.

This time, Castiel leaned forwards and their lips met again. Sofiel instantly returned it and gradually they both figured out what felt good. Taking his hand in hers, Sofiel led Castiel to the bed and together they lay upon and for the first time, they both experienced what it was like to be human.

* * *

When the next morning dawned, bright sunlight filtered into the room, pouring over everything it could reach. Sofiel rolled over sleepily. Feeling rested, she opened her eyes and stretched out languidly. But quickly, she felt her good mood slowly evaporate. She was alone in the bed. Sitting up, she examined the other side to make sure and she was. Castiel wasn't there.

She got up from the bed and dressed quickly before going downstairs. Glancing around, she instantly noticed that Castiel wasn't down here either, only the two hunter who were both sitting at the table. Sam was flicking through what looked like today's newspaper and Dean cleaned his gun. They both looked her way when she entered. Sam seemed to not to notice but Dean's face turned into a wide grin.

He chuckled lightly. "I'm glad Cas isn't a virgin anymore," he said nonchalantly. "It was getting a little embarrassing actually."

"Dean... come on, man, give her a little space to breathe," Sam said with a slight smile before going back to his paper.

"Where is Castiel?" asked Sofiel as she stepped a little closer to both hunters.

Both of them shrugged but Dean spoke. "I don't know," he replied. "He took off early this morning, Sam was awake, and he said he had something to do but he didn't say what and we didn't ask."

"Why not?" Sofiel asked, frowning.

"Well, if I know Cas like I think I do, and I do," Dean said, turning in his chair to face the angel. "There's no point in asking him what he's doing and where he's going unless he offers the information himself. Of course, he doesn't mind asking for help as much as he used to but sometimes you've got to let them come to the conclusion on their own."

Sofiel's frown deepened. "What?"

"He means that if Cas wants help, he'll ask," Sam wrapped up for her.

"Why not offer your assistance?" Sofiel suggested.

"Nope," Dean refuted instantly. "With Cas, doesn't work. You have to wait and believe me, we can wait. After last time I'm in no rush to run off out there again."

Slowly, Sofiel nodded but she had no more questions. Letting the boys get back to what they were doing, she walked to the couch and sat down. She stared above the open fireplace, at the cracked and peeling grey wall. There was something about it that made her want to do the opposite of Dean and run out the door and never look back.

Wanting those feelings to leave, Sofiel moved her sight and looked at the dusty floor but she was soon brought back to the present as Sam's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Sofiel... can I ask something?" Sofiel turned her head to look at him and nodded once. "Why didn't you do what Castiel did before with me and vanish with Dean out of the town?"

She seemed taken aback by the question. Sofiel had to admit that it was the last thing she expected to be asked. Licking her lips slowly, she turned her head away from them and back towards the fireplace. Sofiel knew she couldn't avoid the question though.

"The thought crossed my mind," she said softly. "I don't know if it would have worked."

"Why?" Dean asked heavily.

Sofiel shrugged faintly. "I've only done it a couple of time since being brought back I've noticed my... range is limited."

"Castiel's doesn't seem to be," Sam said, a small frown appearing between his brows.

Remembering what they had discussed, Dean nodded slowly. "Perhaps Lucifer didn't bring Cas back then."

Sofiel then nodded but she said nothing. The room turned quiet and both hunters went back to what they were doing before but this time, Dean's mind was occupied somewhere else. He hadn't yet had the opportunity to speak with Castiel on what he and Sofiel had said to him but for some reason, he no longer had any doubt about why Castiel didn't seem to trust her in the beginning.

After everything they tried, the angels sent an unknown, low level angel to them to bring Castiel back. They must have known that Castiel and Sofiel used to have each other in a personal sense. They knew what they were doing. He was sure of it. After glancing at Sofiel again, he looked at Sam. This couldn't happen.

Sofiel made sure not to look in Dean's direction, knowing that he was staring between her and Sam. For a moment, she wondered if he was aware to her, well, Lucifer's plan. But realising how silly it sounded, the thought slid from her mind. Slowly, her expression turned grave when she thought of Lucifer's words to her. What did he mean by look closer to home? Was it referring to Dean?

After another few moments in silence, the door opened with a gust of wind, causing the three occupants to jump to their feet in alarm. But it was only Castiel. As he entered he looked between the three of them but he questioned nothing, deciding to get to the point.

"Gather your things," he said quickly, looking at Dean and Sam. "We have to go now."

None of them moved. "Where?" asked Dean.

"The new location of the colt has been leaked has as the details on how to alter it to kill the devil but we need to move now."

"Alter it?" Sam questioned. "You mean it could be changed to kill angels now too?"

"Yes," Castiel said quickly, looking between Dean and Sam expectantly.

"Then let's go," Dean said, putting on his jacket and placing his gun inside.

Gathering other things they would need. Sofiel watched but gradually, her eyes rested on Castiel. She was a little surprised that she wasn't told to stay behind. But she said nothing as she looked Castiel over. Somehow she knew that if she was ever going to do what Lucifer asked, then she would have to get a move on. But her thoughts went blank again as they quickly came together and Castiel transported all of them to the place they needed to go with a single slight touch.

* * *

As the four of them wandered through the empty, desolate streets, all of them couldn't help but notice how nothing had yet happened. Sofiel looked over at Castiel a few times. She wanted to talk about what happened between them last night but it was clear he didn't want the same thing.

"I say we go back," Dean suggested in an irritated tone.

"No, we can't," said Castiel firmly.

"Why not?" Dean asked, coming to a stop and facing Castiel.

The angel stopped in his tracks and looked to Dean. When they noticed, Sam and Sofiel also came to a stop and watched as Dean and Castiel exchanged more words.

"Because we are being watched," he said knowingly.

"By who?"

"The angels," Castiel replied.

"Aren't they always watching?" Dean asked in the same tone.

"This is different."

"Want to explain a little more?" Dean asked, moving closer, his eyes narrowing. "We've been out here for more than five hours and we've seen and heard from no one. If they're watching why aren't they doing anything?"

Castiel's features hardened. Sofiel glanced sideways at Sam, who hadn't moved from her side. She could take him to Lucifer now. What was she waiting for? She bit her bottom lip hard and glanced back at Castiel, whose eyes were briefly focused on her. Sofiel looked in the other direction, away from Castiel and Sam. She didn't need more doubt from him now.

In the other direction, a person standing mostly covered in shadow was watching them and it caught Sofiel's eye. Instantly, she recognised the person as Gabriel. When the realisation registered on her face, Gabriel's face turned into a huge grin and quickly Sofiel looked away, not wanting to draw attention to him. But when she looked back, she noticed he was gone.

Feeling as though her curiosity could not wait, she turned and looked up at Sam. "I'm just going to check something out. It'll take a couple seconds."

"Want me to come with you?" Sam asked quickly.

Sofiel looked between Dean and Castiel and gradually wondered if this time they were going to need someone to break them up. She shook her head quickly. "No, stay with them," she said quietly. "It won't take long. Just keep them from killing each other."

Sam gave her a small, uncertain smile but nodded all the same. Sofiel stepped away from the three of them quietly; feeling more worried about disturbing Castiel and having him question her on where she was going.

As she stepped into the alleyway, Gabriel stepped in front of her instantly. It seemed he wasn't interested in wasting time. "Nice to see you again," he said, smiling.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, there's a group of people just down there," Gabriel started, indicting further down the street from where they were with his head. "They've got the thing the little hunters are after. Make sure they go down there." He paused for a moment, his smile broadening a little. "So, have anything in mind for this trip."

"No..." Sofiel said quietly, her eyes narrowing slightly. As she looked at Gabriel she wondered if this is what Lucifer had in mind. "Look closer to home..." she whispered mostly to herself.

Gabriel gave her a curious look before his smile returned to normal. Sofiel wondered if he was already aware of what was happening. Sofiel glanced back at the three men before looking at Gabriel again.

"I don't know how to separate Sam from them," she finally admitted.

"Well..." Gabriel started almost mysteriously. "I could help you with that..."

"How?" Sofiel asked quickly.

"Just go down that street towards the colt and it will happen," Gabriel said confidently. "Whatever happens, go with it. If another familiar face is shown, trust it."

With those words, Gabriel vanished, leaving Sofiel feeling confused. What did he mean by another familiar face? Deciding to trust him, she went back to the group and stood beside Sam again. Dean and Castiel still hadn't noticed that anything was amiss.

"... always watching you but only when they're able to find you," Castiel said hastily. "But something must be stopping them. We just have to find out what it is."

Castiel walked away from Dean, ending the conversation. Dean sighed heavily and looked at the ground for a moment to compose himself but he said nothing more about it and joined them as they continued. When Sofiel glanced at Castiel she quickly looked away, noticing his hard stare. Feelings of doubt about her mission were starting to creep in once again.

When reaching the end of the street they were on, they stopped as a sudden bout of laughter reached their ears. It was coming from around the corner, on the next street. Crossing over slowly, the four of them peaked around and had a look at what was happening. It was the first signs of life they had seen in a while.

There were a group of at least eight people, two women and six men, sitting around four parked cars as fires lit around them roared with great intensity. One of the men was standing in the middle of the circle they created and appeared to be showing off something he held. It was shiny and gleamed off the fires. Sofiel nodded faintly.

"That's the colt," Sam whispered, finally working out what it was.

"Why do they have it?" Dean asked in a hushed voice. "They're just humans; they don't know what the gun actually is. Let's just go take it."

As Dean was about to move, Castiel grabbed his shoulder and held him back. "They're demons."

"What?" Sam asked, turning his head to look at Castiel, wondering if he heard correctly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Castiel said firmly.

"What do we do?" Sofiel whispered quickly, sounding as though she were out of breath. She could hear the thumping of her heart in her ears. Is this what Gabriel was alluding to?

"We can take them on," Dean said, shrugging Castiel's hand off him. "Let's go."

Dean and Sam went ahead and eventually Castiel followed as did Sofiel. She wasn't sure the plan was any good but it was better than sitting here waiting for the demons to just give the gun to them. But half way towards the demons, the four of them stopped as every demon in front of them dropped to the ground, supposedly dead.

"Run!" Castiel yelled.

The four of them turned and ran back up the road. Castiel attempted to reach for the three of them so they could disappear instantly but he wasn't quick enough. A brilliant white light travelled towards them at a great speed before it engulfed them, taking them somewhere else. It was a trap.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

When the bright light vanished all of them looked to where they were now and they quickly learnt that they were alone, in an empty, white room. Dean and Sam looked at Castiel, using their eyes to ask where they were but for a moment Castiel seemed confused. He and Sofiel shared a glance and a dreadful, sinking feeling made it presence known in her stomach. This felt horribly familiar.

"Zachariah," she whispered, her voice a little shaky.

"What?" Sam asked, whipping around to face her.

"It has to be," Castiel said, agreeing with her.

"Well, aren't we quick off the mark today," said a cheery voice behind them.

Turning sharply, they all faced the voice and Castiel stepped forwards, with Dean just behind him and leaving Sofiel standing with Sam. She looked up at Zachariah's face large smiling face. He seemed more than pleased with how things were turning out. Sofiel glanced beside her at Sam and wondered if this was the right time. Gabriel had said to look for another familiar face and trust it.

"Did it just get ugly in here?" Dean asked sarcastically.

"Keep talking smart-ass," Zachariah said, unfazed by Dean's words. Sofiel had to admit that her former superior looked awfully smug about something. "But I have it on good authority that you're going to say yes, and soon."

"You don't know jack squat," said Dean roughly.

Zachariah looked ahead of Dean at Castiel and then behind at Sofiel. "Oh, I see the two of you have reunited. I take it the first reunion was a short one." As he paused, he frowned faintly. Sofiel almost wondered if the look contained a slight trace of fear. "Who brought you back?"

"Lucifer," Sofiel grounded out. It was the last she wanted to admit to Zachariah. The superior angel laughed, clearly amused.

"And Lucifer wants you to take Sam to him, right?" he asked, but he didn't wait for an answer before moving to Castiel. "Hard to know who to trust these days, isn't it?"

Castiel turned and looked at Sofiel who took a step backwards. Castiel's eyes narrowed heavily. He shook his head lightly at her. "Don't," he whispered almost inaudibly.

Both hunters didn't seem to understand what was going on but it didn't matter. Before Castiel could react. Sofiel reached out for Sam and grabbed his arm, keeping eye contact with Castiel. "I'm sorry, Castiel," she whispered quickly, feeling desperate.

Just as Castiel almost reached them, they both vanished. Dean turned to yell at Zachariah but he was gone also. Looking back at Castiel, who had frozen, he felt a wave of panic wash through him. Lucifer was about to get some alone time with Sam and that was something that couldn't happen.

* * *

When Sofiel and Sam reappeared they landed heavily on the ground, falling in heap, their limbs entangled. When getting to her feet she immediately realised she should have thought before she acted. She watched Sam moved away from her and look at their surroundings.

The stars in the night sky shine brightly above them and there wasn't a cloud in sight. The cool air whipped around them, their warm breaths floating upon it every time they exhaled. Tall trees towered over them, making them feel smaller than they actually were and the grass underneath their feet was cool and wet with dew.

Sam faced Sofiel, his expression clear. "What the hell are you doing?"

Sofiel took a step back, not wanting him to come any closer. "I had no choice. I did what I had to," she replied calmly.

"Which was what? Betray Castiel, your so-called beloved?" he shouted.

"I love him," Sofiel shouted back, tears burning the backs of her eyes. Sam snorted and turned away. Sofiel's jaw clenched in anger. "Don't you dare to assume you know anything about me or Castiel. He shares nothing with you about himself other than what you need to know. I need to do this."

"For a fallen brother?" Sam said loudly. "If you stayed with us, he would never have been able to get to you."

Sofiel sighed. "Despite what he has done, I still hold love for Lucifer. He is my brother. The other of my kin feel the same for him but they hide it, deny it, pretend he means nothing. We are not as callous as you are led to believe."

"But you would rather help Lucifer than Castiel?" Sam asked, moving closer again.

Sofiel shrugged as one tear fell. "I will always love Castiel but he will still be here. This war needs to end and it starts with you."

"That it does," said a new voice.

Both Sofiel and Sam stopped as they watched Lucifer walk through the trees towards them. He approached Sofiel and smiled as he looked at her. Gently, he cupped her cheek with one hand before loving his head to lovingly kiss the other one.

"You've done well, my dear," he said quietly.

He then looked at Sam and his smiled widened. "Nice to see you again, Sam."

"No," Sam said tightly.

"No?" Lucifer questioned curiously, an amused glint dancing in those grey orbs.

"I will not give in to you," he clarified.

"I'm afraid you will," Lucifer said confidently. "I listened to what you said and believe me when I say that Sofiel does love Castiel and she is correct, he will always be here. But down to business. You need to let me in, Sam."

"That's not going to happen."

"I love the denial you carry," Lucifer said looking Sam over. "It's always fascinated me how humans deny things when they know them to be true. Why do you all torture yourselves?"

Sam's jaw tightened but he said nothing. He glanced around and Lucifer noticed. "Oh, don't worry. No one will be disturbing for a while. Now, let me explain to you why you need to do this."

* * *

"Where have they gone?" Dean asked, moving to Castiel's side.

Castiel sighed heavily as he walked away from Dean and hung his head. "I don't know," he said honestly.

"Well, find them!" Dean said loudly, walking to Castiel again and forcing the angel to look at him.

"And how would you like me to do that?" Castiel asked heatedly. "We're trapped in this room, Sofiel and Sam are gone, Lucifer is probably already with them."

"That doesn't mean it's too late," Dean said quickly. "Can't you break us out of here, or something and-"

Dean stopped talking abruptly as the walls seemed to melt away. It instantly went silent as they both questioned themselves on what was going on. Dean looked at Castiel but he noticed that the angel looked just as puzzled but he eventually understood why this was happening.

"Zachariah's freeing us," he stated almost bitterly.

"What? Why?" Dean asked quickly.

"Because Lucifer having free, one on one access to Sam is what they want as well," Castiel explained. "They wanted both of you to say yes and they think Sam will be the one to crack first."

"They think he's weaker?"

"That's not what I said," Castiel said darkly, glaring at the hunter.

Dean sighed heavily again. "So, now what can we do?" he asked, his tone harsh. He was attempting to get things back on track and doing what they were supposed to be doing, which was getting Sam back in one piece and Lucifer away from him once and for all.

Castiel shrugged lightly. "Well," he started slowly. "We need to find them but it won't be easy."

"But they couldn't have gone far," said Dean quickly. "Earlier, Sofiel told me that her range with vanishing, or whatever you call it, was limited, that she could only go so far. Do you think she was telling the truth?"

"I don't see why she would lie about it..." Castiel said slowly, thinking it through. "I suggested we begin. She would have taken him somewhere out of the way, like a forest or abandoned city or something."

"Then let's go."

* * *

Lucifer sighed heavily. Everything he had yet said was not going down well. It was time to move on and try something else. "Sam..." Lucifer said, sighing again, folding his arms over his chest. "I can guarantee to you that I will never lie to you. I have no need to. You are my true vessel."

"No!" Sam said loudly.

Sofiel glanced between Lucifer and Sam. Doubts on whether she had done the right thing were beginning to creep in but she knew it was too late. If Lucifer managed to get inside, she'd be fine and if Lucifer could beat Michael, she would be free once again. Even to herself, Sofiel was unable to understand her reasons for doing this, for helping Lucifer rather than the others but part of her told her it was the right thing to do.

Was Lucifer's punishment befitting the crime? It was the one question Sofiel couldn't answer with any satisfaction and it was the one thing that stopped her from helping the others and Castiel. No one deserved the punishment Lucifer received. It was harsh and impulsive. Maybe if their father spoke with Lucifer again before passing his judgement once more and sending Michael here.

"Sam," Lucifer said again, in the same patient tone. "This apocalypse can only end one way and that's with me facing Michael. If you say yes, then Dean will."

"Then one of us will die!" Sam said loudly.

"It doesn't have to be that way."

Those words made Sam stop all movements. His body froze and stiffly, he turned to face Lucifer, his face contorted in confusion. "What?" he asked quietly, wondering if he heard the fallen angel correctly. Lucifer said nothing, he just smiled and Sam took a couple steps forward. "What are you talking about?"

"Well... I brought Sofiel back, didn't I?" he asked rhetorically. "If you say yes and Dean says yes and you help me to win, Michael will die yes, and so will Dean but I can bring him back."

Sam's sight moved to the ground and Sofiel realised that he was actually considering it. "But..." Sam started, his mind thinking slowly. "You'll still possess me... won't you?"

"I might not have to," Lucifer said quickly. "But it's a possibility," he added honestly.

"Explain," Sam said, his tone hard.

"Killing heaven's general isn't always the best move to make and if I'm not able to get back in then I shall stay here, on the surface and yes, you will be needed. But I could take temporary hosts and leave you to spend time with Dean. He may not like it but I will leave you to the rest of the time to be in peace." Lucifer paused. "I don't want to see you any pain, Sam. I care about you and I will continue to after this is over. And I know Dean being dead won't be good for you."

It turned quiet and both angels' eyes were on Sam, wondering what his decision would be. Sofiel had an awful feeling that he wasn't going to take the deal he was being offered. Sofiel thought him a fool if he refused. It was a good offer. As the waiting continued, a flash of light was seen metres through the trees and instantly, Sofiel knew what it was.

She looked to Lucifer. He must have noticed also but he showed no concern. His eye remained on Sam as he continued to wait. Eventually, the young hunter turned to Lucifer and held his head up high.

"I need to make some conditions first, then we'll see."

"And what might they be?" Lucifer asked curiously, a small playing on his pale lips.

"First, you don't touch Dean in any sense of the word until Michael has him and only then can you kill him but you must promise to bring him back; second, you won't harm Castiel. No matter what happens, he will be protected; and third, I want you to do what you can for Bobby."

"Alright," Lucifer said slowly, nodding his head. "I promise not to harm Dean until Michael takes him and I promise to bring him back when it's over. Also, I wouldn't dream of hurting Castiel. He makes a curious angel, but he will be safe. And as for your friend Bobby, I cannot make any promises, but I will try."

As rustling sounds reached their ears, Sofiel turned towards them. She could see the outline of two figures coming towards them. It was almost too late. She turned back to Lucifer but held her tongue. Her eyes darted between them and eventually rested on Sam. He sighed heavily and stepped closer to Lucifer, leaving little space between them.

"You can use me as your vessel," Sam said firmly. "Yes."

Lucifer's smile reached from ear to ear at hearing those words. "Sam!" a yell in the distance came. It sounded like Dean. Sam attempted to move but it was too late. Lucifer grabbed both of Sam's arms and the whole wooded area lit up, blinding everything in its path with a glowing white light. Castiel pounced on Dean, both of them falling to the ground and he shielded the hunter from the light.

When the light faded away and the darkness returned Castiel got back to his feet and helped Dean up. They walked towards the spot where they had seen Sam and instantly they noticed that Sofiel was no longer there but Sam was along with an unmoving body that lay upon the ground. Sam, well, Lucifer bent down and checked Nick, the empty vessel that Lucifer had been using and he sighed heavily. He had spent too much time inside. He was gone. But he had served his purpose.

Standing tall again, Lucifer looked down and around his new body. It felt much better than Nick had. He appreciated what the other man did for him but he wasn't going to last much longer and Sam was stronger. This body was definitely going to be able to sustain him for as long as he needed. As the rustling in the distance slowed, Lucifer looked up.

"Sam?" Dean asked, walking near him, looking him over.

"Sorry, Dean," Lucifer replied in Sam's voice. "Your brother is now mine. I can give him back but you'll need to say yes to Michael. But until the time comes..." he waved lightly towards the hunter and the angel stopping at his side. "Bye, bye."

"No!" Dean said pouncing but it was already too late. Lucifer was gone.

* * *

Promptly, Castiel helped Dean back to his feet again and he instantly transported them out of there and back to the ruined house. Dean threw his gun on the table before sitting on the chair and slumping onto the space of table in front of him. He buried his head in his arms and sighed heavily. He felt the tears sting his eyes and a lump well up in his throat. He felt like he was going to be sick.

"Tell me that didn't just happen," Dean said, his voice slightly muffled.

Castiel sighed. He looked defeated too. "I'm sorry, Dean," he said sincerely. "I didn't think this would happen."

"So, what do we do now?" Dean asked, not moving.

"There isn't much choice anymore Dean," Castiel said honestly. "You must say yes to Michael."

Dean's jaw clenched tightly. This was something he was sick of hearing. Part of him wanted it to be over too but not like this. He was sure there had to be another way. Then suddenly, he felt bad. Not once since the other angel arrived, had he spoken with Bobby. It made him feel guilty but he couldn't understand why.

Then, a thought that hadn't occurred to Dean came to mind. Lifting his head, he focused on Castiel, who was watching him. "Can I talk to Michael?"

"What?" Castiel asked, moving towards Dean and stopping behind the chair beside him.

"It is possible for me to talk with Michael?" Dean asked again, his voice more certain.

Castiel looked away as he considered it. He shrugged faintly and shook his head uncertainly. "I am not sure... why would you want to?"

"I can't just let him in without knowing his terms, can I?" Dean said getting to his feet.

With nothing more than a thought, Castiel disappeared, leaving Dean alone. Dean spun around quickly, wondering if that really just happened. Where the hell was he going? Dean sat back down at the table and waited. When Castiel returned, he wasn't alone. Dean got to his feet again and looked at the man Castiel had with him.

"Who is that?" asked Dean with a small frown.

"A temporary vessel, a mouth piece, Michael could talk through," replied Castiel. "I don't know if he'll want to talk with you. You must be prepared for that. Michael isn't one for talk."

"Neither am I," Dean said with a sly smile. "Just dial or whatever you have to do."

Castiel moved beside the man and bent down close to his ear, like he had done with Raphael's vessel and he spoke something Dean didn't understand. When he was finished he stood back beside Dean and together they waited to see if he would respond. When Dean looked the vessel over he couldn't deny the resemblance there was to himself; the short hair, the clothes... it was a little disturbing.

After half an hour of waiting, the human vessel gradually crumbled to its knees and bowed its head. Dean glanced at Castiel. The angel's eyes had narrowed considerably and he wasn't taking his eyes off the vessel. It was only then Dean felt a little worried.

"Is Michael actually in there?"

Castiel shook his head stiffly. "No," he replied. "He's only going to talk through the mouth piece since you cannot understand us when we speak in our own language."

"Well, it sounds like a herd of banshees, no offence," he said looking back at the vessel.

An ever so slight flicker of a smile appeared on Castiel's face before it disappeared. It wasn't long before the vessel began to speak but it didn't move from its position. It didn't seem able to.

"You called for me, Castiel?" said Michael in an odd, booming sort of voice.

It caused Dean to jump slightly, but neither angel seemed to notice it. Castiel nodded. "Yes, I did," he said firmly. "Dean Winchester wants to speak with you."

"Yes, I learnt only moments ago that your brother has said yes to Lucifer," he said in the same voice. "You are troubled by this, aren't you?"

"Of course I am!" Dean said outraged. "I-"

Castiel nudged him and shook his head firmly, his lips pressed into a hard firm line. Dean sighed and started again. "I want to know what's going to happen after I say yes."

"It's simple," Michael replied. "I will send Lucifer back to hell and Earth will be what it's supposed to be, a home for my father's most treasured creations and there will be peace."

Dean felt a little taken aback by Michael's tone. There was nothing malicious in how he spoke those words. He expected the archangel to be haughty and arrogant like Raphael and speak of humans as though they meant nothing but it seemed to be the opposite.

"But what happens to me if you lose?"

"You will rest in heaven, even if I win you will rest in heaven," Michael replied. "Your body will be able to contain me without any trouble but once I leave there will be nothing of you left. You shall be at peace with us, your father, past loved ones. Is that not enough?"

"What about Sam?" Dean asked quickly.

The reply took longer this time. It didn't give Dean any confidence. "I cannot promise to save Sam," Michael admitted. "And nor will I give you any hope in doing so. I cannot promise to bring him back either. I do not hold the power to do that."

Dean ran a hand through his hair roughly and shifted his weight between feet. "And what if Sam does die? Will he go to heaven also?"

There was another pause. "I do not know," Michael replied quietly, the thick voice still bouncing off the walls. "By saying yes to Lucifer, he has now allied himself with hell." There was yet another pause. "I will do what I can for him, but as I said, I will make you no promises."

"What about Cas?"

This time, the reply took even longer. It was almost as though Michael didn't want to answer. "He will need to disappear," he said clearly. "I have no desire to see more of my kin perish but he cannot be involved any further if you let me in."

Dean thought quickly. "What if I find the colt and alter it?"

"That will not work," Michael said instantly. "It cannot be altered to kill angels. Zachariah fooled you to meet his own ends with Sam and Sofiel. The only way you can now defeat Lucifer is with me."

It was then Castiel who spoke the next words. "What happened to Sofiel?"

A small chuckle erupted from the vessel but it remained still and unmoving. "I do not know, Castiel," Michael answered. "When Lucifer entered Sam's body, she vanished within the light. She has disappeared."

"So... just so I have this straight, I'm still going to die, even if you win."

"Yes you will die either way," Michael replied. "Eventually, Lucifer will want to finish you but you will be saved until the very end. Then, the world shall be his and all of my father's creations will be have been sacrificed for nothing."

To Dean now, it seemed like no matter what he chose they would lose either way. This war was no longer about them but the end result. One of them was going to die and Dean felt his heart break at the idea of Lucifer losing. It would mean Sam dying and going to hell. Dean licked his lips slowly as he thought it through. But even if he said yes to Michael it doesn't mean the archangel would win. Lucifer has grown more powerful then he should be. Though he wasn't sure he liked the idea of Lucifer winning either. The aftermath of that couldn't be much better.

Knowing it was finally over. Dean took one more look at Castiel and the angel nodded once and Dean gave him a faint smile. He moved to stand in front of the temporary vessel and he looked down at it.

"Then... yes," Dean grounded out.

Just as a white light filled every inch of space in the room, Castiel vanished out of harm's way and sought a safe place to hide. Once the brilliant light faded and finally vanished over Michael took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he ran his hands up and down his new body. Instantly, his thoughts went to Lucifer and without a second thought, he vanished.

* * *

Thank you for reading. Feedback always welcome. Sequel in the works.


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